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(No Model.)

Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.4 E. G;:THORP. MACHINE FOR FOLDING LEAVES FOR BOOKS.

No. 409,076. Patented Aug. 13,1889.

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. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. G. THORP. MACHINE FOR FOLDING LEAVES FOR BOOKS. No. 409,076. Patented Aug.'13,' 1889.

N. PETERS. PhmwLilhugnphcr, Wahingt nn, D Q

UNITED STATES I ELLIOTT G.

PATENT OFFICE.

THORP, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING LEA VES FOR BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,076, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed Oct0her3l, 1883. Serial No. 110,520. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Ze it known that I, ELLIOTT G. THORP, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State or Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Folding Leaves for Books, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a machine for folding and preparing sheets of paper or other suitable sheet material to be bound into books,

more especially scrap-books, and such scrap books as are shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States issued to me, dated May 22, 1883, No. 278,202; and it consists in the combination and arrangement of mechanism to be used in connection with a suitable press, whereby sheets of paper or other suitable sheet material of which the leaves of the book are to be made will be suitably folded at their back edges, and at the same time have proper apertures or openings made or cut through the leaves at such folds for the leaves so folded to be stitched or sewed together into book form, all substantially as hereinafter fully described and shown.

In the accompanying plate of drawings this invention is illustrated in combination with a suitable press forpressing and of attachments thereto, constructed according to this invention, for folding and cutting sheets of paper poses of this invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section from front to rear, and Fig. 2 a partial front elevation and partial sectional view, of such press and attachments. Fig. 3 is a plan View below line 3 3, Fig. 1-. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is aview in perspective of two leaves for abook havingtheir back edges folded and the folds out according to this invention. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of several leaves folded and applied together as in a book, the folds partially opened.

In the drawings, A represents two upright standards, which support and carry the working part of the machine.

B is a horizontal bed-plate above the uprights A, and adapted to move up and down in suitable vertical guideways a near the upper ends of said uprights A, and in such movements it is operated and controlled by togglelevers O, acted upon by a cam D 011 a horizontal shaft E, driven by the pulley F in any suitable manner.

G is a stationary head-piece located above the bed-plate B, and permanently attached by screws 1) to a cross-head H of vertical extensions J of the standards A, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2.

So far as described and shown, the parts represent a simple press, such as is well known and in use for various purposes, and constitutes in itself no part of the present invention.

K is a plate secured to the upper side of bed-plate B by screws, or in any suitable manner.

L is a narrow plate or bar set in a groove (1 in the upper side of plate K, to which it is secured by screws 6. This plate has two upright projections M and N, the projection N being back of the projection M, the two extending the length of the plate L. They are of an inverted-V shape in cross-section, as

shown more fully in Fig. 4.

P is a plate secured to the under side of two depressions Q and R, extending the length of the plate P and adapted to receive, respectively, the projections M and N of plate B when said plate is moved up to the headpiece G.

or other suitable sheet material for the purtending over the front f of the plate K nearly to the projections M and N, and secured by S is a spring-plate of thin sheet metal exscrews 9 at its front edge, which is bent downward, as shown, said screws passing through horizontal slots h and screwing into the front of bed-plate B. \Vhen the bedplate B is down, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the inner edge I of this plate S is a little higher than the projections M and N, as shown in Fig. 1.

T are stops arranged to be moved back and forth in slots on in the upper surface of the plate K, back of the projections M N, and in ,such movements to be operated by screws 01.

U is a stop arranged to move in a slot (1 in left-hand end of plate P, projecting downward therefrom, and in such movement operated by a screw 4".

V V are circular cutters or saws (in the present instance four in number) secured in any suitable manner and at the required dis tance apart on a horizontal shaft \V, arranged to turn in bearings s in the ends 15 of the head-piece G, one end of said shaft projecting sufliciently for a driving-pulley X to be secured thereto for the revolving of the saws V. These cutters or saws are located above the plate 1 in the head-piece G, which is chambered out, as at "u, for the purpose, and are so located in reference to the plate P that the lower sides of their cutting-edges project into the plate P below the upper ends of the depressions Q R, suitable cross-slots 1) being cut in the plate, and suitable notches or slots 20 being cut across the projections M and N to allow for such entrance of the sawblade, and to leave free space for its move ments when the bed-plate B is in its proper position to press the sheets of paper, &c.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The leaves to be folded (preferably two at once) are laid on the plate S, their back edges resting in notches y in stops T on the plate K, and their edges at the left abutting against the stop U in the end of the plate I, these stops serving as gages for the proper placin of the sheet preparatory to being folded. The press now being set in motion, the bed-plate l3 rises by the movement of the cam l) and toggle-levers C, and the sheet or sheets are pressed between the two plates B P and projections M N and depressions Q R, which folds the sheets, as shown in Fig. 4. At the same time, by the rotation of the cutters or saws, the openings a are cut in the edges 1) of the folds (Z and f when in the continued movement of the press the bed plate B descends, the folded sheets are removed and others inserted to be folded and cut in the next upward movement of the bedplate, and so on. As the bed-plate B rises, the plate S is forced down to prevent its interfering with the proper folding of the sheets, the plate K being cut away in front of the plate L to give room for it, as shown in Fig. 4, and as the bed-plate l5 descends after the sheets have been folded the plate S will rise, carrying the sheets with it and clearing them from the projections M N, and thus facilitate their removal from the press. To

properly place the leaves so folded together to form a book, as shown in Fig. 6, and have -thc back edges of the folds of the leaves square with the sides, it is necessary that the projection M should be shorter than the pro jection N, as shown, the diiferenee between the two being equal to the thickness of the leaves that are folded. This makes the fold (l shorter and of such a length that when the fold f of the next and adjoining leaves are placed over it such leaves at such fold f will not project farther back than the other fold f of the leaves over which it is placed, which I is obvious from an inspection of Fig. 6.

Y is a table or shelf in front of the press, on which the sheets to be folded, and after they are folded in the operation of the machine, can be laid.

A machine such as described folds and cuts the leaves at one operation, thereby saving time, is simple in its construction, and efficient and practical in its operation.

The plate L is secured to the plate K, so as to be attached and detached, as desired, in order to arrange by different plates for different. lengths of folds and to suit the thickness of the material forming the sheets in reference to the lengths of the projections in relation to each other.

Any suitable press can be used, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the press herein shown and described.

The projections M N in some cases might be of the same hei gilt-as, for instance, where the sheets are of quite thin materialso that when placed together no material difference in the shape would occur; also a more or less number of cutters or saws can be used, as desired, according to the size of the bookor the number of openings to be cut in the folds.

llavin g thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

In a machine for folding paper sheets, the COn'lbiIlatiOn, with the plate L, provided with projections M N, having notches or slots 10, of a plate I, having depressions Q It to engage with said projections, slots 1, and cutters or saws V, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELLIOTT G. THORP.

\Vituesses:

EDWIN W. Knows, WM. 5. BnLLows.

ICO 

